Boycotting Israeli products? There's an app for that

BDS movement set to launch a smartphone app that would enable boycotters to search for a company's ties to Israel.

Ynetnews|Published: 03.14.14 , 00:03

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is determined to make it easier to boycott Israeli products. To that end, it is about to launch a smartphone app that will allow users to search for a company's links to Israel, the International Business Times reported on Thursday.

The app will include a large database of product information that is researched by voluntary staff, as well as a barcode scanner to make it easier to search for products.

The app will allow boycotters to "dynamically and quickly identify products that fall within the BDS boycott guidelines," the International Business Times quoted Abbas Naqvi, a founder of PennBDS, as saying.

Prominent figures have either expressed support with the BDS movement or caved into its pressure. Stephen Hawking cancelled a visit to Israel in May 2013, while Stevie Wonder cancelled a performance at a Friends of the IDF gala in December 2012. Pink Floyd's founder Roger Waters has been a vocal supporter of the movement, often giving interviews calling for the end of the "Israeli occupation."

Recently, Waters criticized American actress Scarlett Johansson, who serves as a spokeswoman for the Israeli company SodaStream that has a factory in the West Bank.

The app is still in its beta stage, and a launch date has not been specified.